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WILLIE MAYS -- 42

As the Say Hey Kid, he could do it all — throw, run, hit, hit with power and field. His amazing, over-the-shoulder catch in the 1954 World Series helped the New York Giants defeat the Cleveland Indians and certified Mays's status as one of baseball's greatest players.

As the seasons and injuries took their toll, Mays refused to retire and was traded to the New York Mets in 1972. A year later, the Mets advanced to the World Series, where a 42-year-old Mays dropped easy fly balls and fell down while running the bases.

It was painful to see the once awe-inspiring Mays betrayed by his own body. Hall of Fame outfielder Al Kaline of the Detroit Tigers watched Mays stumble and remembered that his wife told him, "Don't ever play that long."

Mays retired after the '73 Series and became a coach with the Mets.

"Growing old is just a helpless hurt," he said.

MUHAMMAD ALI -- 37

Boxers rarely do retirement well, and Ali stayed true to the disturbing trend.

By 1977, a 35-year-old Ali was losing his trademark speed, both in his hands and feet. He was nearly knocked out in the second round of his fight with Earnie Shavers but refused to listen to anyone who said his skills were eroding. (Doctor Ferdie Pacheco left the Ali camp when the champion refused to retire.) After a lop-sided beating from Larry Holmes, followed by a 10-round loss to Trevor Berbick, Ali was finished in 1981. Three years later, he was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease, which was later amended to Pugilistic Parkinson's syndrome.

Despite boxing's many cautionary tales (see Joe Louis, Jerry Quarry, Canadian Shawn O'Sullivan, etc.), there are still those who believe they can defy Father Time and collect big paycheques.

George Foreman may have done that by winning the heavyweight crown at 45. But the record book shows he's the only fighter to be that successful at such an advanced age.

GARY ROBERTS -- TBAEarlier this NHL season, Roberts was asked about his playing future and joked: "I tried retirement once. Didn't like it. They're going to have to drag me out of here screaming and kicking."

Roberts, who turns 42 in May, retired in 1996 and was out of hockey an entire year recovering from neck and shoulder surgery. For a distraction, he worked as a waiter at his wife's restaurant in downtown Calgary.

But as Roberts recovered, he began working out and the more he worked out, the better he felt. Eventually, he returned to the NHL and in the past 10 seasons he has scored 177 goals. Not bad for a guy who thought his playing days were done when he turned 30.

And to stay as long as possible in the game, Roberts continues to dedicate himself to fitness by re-shaping his upper body to protect his neck. He's also undergone additional surgeries to clear away scar tissue and regenerate some of the nerves that were damaged.

In the meantime, he's recovering from a broken leg and looking ahead to the playoffs.

GORDIE HOWE -- 52

When he retired in 1971, Mr. Hockey had scored just 23 goals, his lowest total in 10 years, and was bothered by an arthritic left wrist. He took a front-office job with the Detroit Red Wings and seemed content to begin an off-ice career.

The chance to play in a new league (the WHA) alongside his two sons changed that and, after surgery on his bad wrist, Howe was back on his skates terrorizing foes with his menacing elbows. He played seven more seasons after un-retiring at the age of 45, and was still putting up decent scoring numbers in his final year.

While Howe had his share of aches and pains, he found adventure in new challenges. Playing with his boys, Mark and Marty, invigorated him but playing up to his standards was just as important.

"If I failed badly," Howe said of his WHA stint, "people would remember me more for trying to make a stupid comeback at 45 than for all the other things I did in hockey."

He need not have worried.

BARRY SANDERS -- 30

Former Detroit Lions running back Barry Sanders remains the gold standard for quitting at the pique of a career. Ten years after his shocking retirement, Sanders has never attempted to reclaim NFL superstardom and, at this stage, he probably never will.

He retired at age 30, preemptively ending a glorious career.

The running back announced his retirement with a fax to his hometown paper, the Wichita Eagle, after 10 seasons. His decision was shrouded in mystery for more than three years before Sanders finally admitted that the Lions' losing culture was too much for him to bear.

He went to 10 Pro Bowls and rushed for 1,491 yards in his final season. At the time, Sanders was within a season or two of breaking Walter Payton's then-record for career rushing yards. With several productive seasons, Sanders would have smashed the mark and cemented a legacy as the greatest running back ever. Instead, Emmitt Smith broke Payton's record.

In 2004, after reconciling with the Lions organization, Sanders had his No. 20 jersey retired. Also that year, he was elected to the Professional Football Hall of Fame.